1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner for railway vehicles and, more particularly, to an air conditioner to be installed on the roof of a railway vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. 59-7129, 60-10178 and 61-10178, Japanese Patent Provisional Publication (Kokai) No. 58-206417 and Japanese Utility Model Provisional Publication (Kokai) No. 59-120620 disclose air conditioners to be installed on the roof of a vehicle. These known air conditioners for railway vehicles have a disadvantage that the vertically higher construction of the compressor inevitably increases the height of the air conditioners. To eliminate such a disadvantage, there has been proposed an air conditioner for railway vehicles having a through hole in the bottom thereof to project the bottom portion of the compressor downward through the hole. In installing this air conditioner on the roof of a vehicle, the roof needs modification and a recess needs to be formed in the roof at a position corresponding to the bottom portion of the compressor.
Thus, it has been difficult to reduce the height of the conventional air conditioner because the conventional air conditioner incorporates a vertically higher compressor. Furthermore, the roof contour of a vehicle on which an air conditioner is to be installed needs to be formed in a special construction inevitably requiring an increase in time and labor in manufacturing the vehicle.
In addition, in the case of installing an air conditioner on an existing vehicle, it is advantageous that the air conditioner has a small height and requires the least modification of the roof of the vehicle because the air conditioner must be installed within the designated envelope of the vehicle.